Passings

Art Buchwald died yesterday. He was one of those individuals whose paths crossed mine because of my camera. I have a memory of one of his columns which must have appeared in the 1960s about the U.S. Revolutionary War. I don't remember the particulars, but I do remember it stuck with me for a long time and when I saw it reprinted I knew I had read it before. I very much enjoyed his wry take on life inside the Beltway.

Mr. Buchwald lived very near Ethel Kennedy, which is why I got a chance to photograph him wearing a top hat and tails as he emceed Mrs. Kennedy's charity pet show at Hickory Hill one year. The Washington Post sent me out to photograph the event (which was annual for some time) and I also photographed Kathleen Kennedy's oldest daughter decked out as Little Bo Peep and British dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse (I think that was her name) who was among the celebrities in attendance. Lots of Kennedy children and cousins were there (including ones who are no longer with us.) I think I was about 6 months pregnant at the time, and hiking around Hickory Hill with a heavy camera bag was a bit tiring.

Mr. Buchwald was every bit as funny in person as he was on paper. I'm glad he outlived his doctors' prognosis and I would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall of the "salon" his hospice room became. The world is a poorer place because of his passing.